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Underlining for silk dupioni

Ocrafty1 | Posted in Fabric and Trim on

I am about to make my Mother of the Bride dress out of silk dupioni, and I’m at a quandry of what to use for the underlining. I recently made another MOTB gown out of the same type of fabric and used silk organza as the underlining. It worked OK and the gown looked gorgeous, but I wasn’t completely convinced that it was the perfect fabric for the job.  I played with using cotton batiste as the underlining but wasn’t sure I liked the hand of the combination. I’m concerned that it will be too heavy a hand for the silk.  I’ve made many, many gowns/dresses for weddings, but that was my first time using silk. This wedding will be the first week in June, and I’m making a strapless dress with a shrug. Can anyone give me some feedback or recommendations? Thanks!

Replies

  1. alotofstitches | | #1

    underlining for silk

    I would use the firmer sew-in, woven cotten  interfacing--it is the closest thing to bridal underlining and will support the strapless dress.  I'd use that in a "corset" made from the bodice pieces and stopping at the waistline.  Make it from lining fabric with the interfacing as the underlining and sew boning at the seams.   Sew it into the dress along with the lining across the entire neckline of the dress.  Add a piece of grossgrain ribbon on the bottom of the corset and add a skirt hook to fasten it snuggly around your waist.  THIS IS WHAT SUPPORTS THE STRAPLESS DRESS NOT YOUR BREASTS.  The dress will not slip down or twist!  For the rest of the underlining use the SILK organza not poly so it will breathe and not be hot.  The organza should help keep your dress from wrinkling, same as the jacket.  I use acetate lining for the "breathability" as it's considered a natural fiber too.  In fact fabric.com has a closeout on acetate taffeta for $1.95--an excellent price and good selection of colors for a good match.

    1. Ocrafty1 | | #2

      Underlining

      I used a slightly heavier 100% cotton for the 'foundation' in the gown I recently made. It worked perfectly and is very breathable. My concern is about using the silk organza as the underlining for the dupioni; the organza just didn't seem to give the dupioni the right 'hand.'  It seemed like the dupioni was still not as supported as I thought it should be.  This could be that I just haven't worked with silk before and don't know what it should feel like, but my instinct is that it wasn't supported well.

      I do not like acetate as a lining...I want something more upscale.The lining shouldn't be the support for the fabric....that's what the underlining is for. I will probably use something more on the line of a charmeuse for the lining...more sensuous.

      Per the foundation; I make mine about 5 in. longer than waist length. It is more comfortable, and I make the waistline stay longer so that it wraps around onto the front, hooked with a larger hook/eye. You are correct in that the waist stay is the key to keeping a strapless up. I also use spiral steel boning, and lots of it. It is sooooo much more comfortable than the ridgeline or that other plastic stuff. I'll never use the plastic again...unless its in a hoop skirt for reenactment. There is absolutely no comparison.

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